Assessing Gio Lopez's Performance Against North Carolina State

It's difficult to judge Gio Lopez's performance in the North Carolina Tar Heels' 42-19 loss to the North Carolina State Wolfpack on Saturday night.

The Tar Heels' defense's inability to create any stops and force North Carolina State's offense off the field put Lopez and the offense in must-pass situations, which makes it very predictable for an opposing defense each and every play.

In addition, the junior quarterback left early in the third quarter with a knee injury, forcing him to miss the second half of the game.

Nov 29, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick addresses the media after the second half of the game against NC State Wolfpack at Carter-Finley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

North Carolina's head coach provided an update on the signal caller during his postgame press conference on Saturday night.

"No, I'm sure we'll take a look at it tomorrow and do some images or whatever we need to do," Belichick said. "I don't know exactly what it is."

Up to that point, Lopez had been playing well, but nothing to write home about. With that being said, here's a look at how the third-year starter performed on the road against the Wolfpack on Saturday night in the season finale.

Lopez's Stat line

Nov 29, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; NC State Wolfpack linebacker Caden Fordham (1) and defensive end Isaiah Shirley (88) tackles North Carolina Tar Heels quarterback Gio Lopez (7) during the first half of the game against North Carolina Tar Heels at Carter-Finley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

In the Tar Heels' 42-19 loss to North Carolina State, Lopez completed 11-of-16 passes for 118 yards and one touchdown. As mentioned, the junior quarterback exited the game on the offense's first series in the third quarter after being landed on awkwardly following a sack. Lopez's leg bent in the wrong direction, and North Carolina's starting quarterback was assisted off the field unable to put any weight on his leg.

Lopez took three sacks, which were the result of him holding onto the ball too long in the pocket. However, the third-year starter was not helped out by his teammates, as there were multiple dropped passes on accurate throws.

Nov 29, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels quarterback Gio Lopez (7) runs with the football during the first half of the game against NC State Wolfpack at Carter-Finley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

His lone touchdown pass was an absolute dot to Jordan Shipp on a 20-yard pass in the back corner of the end zone. Other than that, there was not another notable highlight for the Tar Heels.

Who Helped Lopez the Most

Once again, Shipp was North Carolina's leading receiver, securing eight receptions for 90 yards and one touchdown. The 20-yard score was incredibly impressive, as the sophomore wideout illustrated elite body control, dragging his feet in the back corner of the end zone.

Nov 22, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels wide receiver Jordan Shipp (1) celebrates after a touchdown during the second half at Kenan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Howard-Imagn Images | William Howard-Imagn Images

Kobe Paysour was the only other pass-catching option with multiple receptions, securing five passes for 49 yards.

Overall, it was a rough outing for the Tar Heels, and that bad taste in their mouth will remain for the entire offseason.

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